Congratulations! You’re engaged, you’ve booked your venue, now it’s onto the most exciting part of wedding planning… shopping for your bridal gown, duh!
It’s not like the shows. I know you’ve binge watched Say Yes to The Dress a few times (so have we), but trust us, it’s nothing like the shows. A lot of girls have preconceived notions of how the whole bridal shopping experience will go down. One thing is for sure, it’s not as dramatic and serious as on the show. Our bridal consultants try to make it a fun and informative bridal shopping experience for you, so let us guide you throughout the process. Here are a few tips and insights to help you prepare for your first bridal appointment.
Research the Gram
If scrolling through Instagram and pinning boards on Pinterest counts as homework, then we’re giving you a take home assignment.
Have a vision in mind of what you are going for but keep an open mind to other styles. Pinterest and Instagram is a great place to start and get ideas of the styles, silhouettes, and designers of wedding dresses that are out there. This helps you narrow down what you like, exclude what you don’t. It also helps your bridal consultant grasp what is the recurring theme or pattern you are going for. Tell your bridal consultant what you have in mind and all about the wedding so far, so we can help you find a dress that suits the theme, venue and your vision..
Review your closet
You might be thinking “OMG I have no idea what dress I want, I don’t know what I like or what suits me!”.
Chill, grab a glass of wine and your bestfriend and look through your closet. Over the years, you’ve worn enough clothes that you’ve developed your own sense of style based on your preferences, body shape, and personality. If you don’t like tight fitted dresses and most of your evening and summer dresses are more flowy, chances are you won’t want a mermaid or a fit and flare wedding gown. If everything you own is with sparkles, beads, lace or some sort of pattern, you’re probably not gonna be leaning towards a simple and clean dress. So a sneak peak at your own closet can give a few hints about what kind of bride you are.
What is the difference between bridal sizes?
You might be a size 8 in regular clothes, but a size 12 in bridal. That’s because bridal sizes run small and they haven’t changed size Marylin Monroe times. Keep in mind that stores usually carry one sample of each dress and not every dress will not sit perfectly on you. It’s likely that we will use clips to show you how the bridal dress will look like in your size and after all the alterations have been done. Keep in mind that some small changes, such as closing the bust area or extending the sleeves, are all possible at Ana Koi Bridal! There is always a way around to change up your dress to make it exactly how you want it.
Who to Bring to your bridal appointment
I know this is an exciting time and you want your close family and friends around you, but just remember that this day is about YOU and how you want to feel on your wedding day! Everyone has an opinion, and the more people you bring the more opinions you have to consider and deal with. Try to bring only the people that actually know your style and will give you critical feedback based on your own personal bridal dress checklist. It’s also a good idea to tell your guests in advance that they should take the backseat and let you say your thoughts first, before they jump in with their points of view. Trust us, it can get pretty overwhelming when your aunt Sussie is screaming “TOO MUCH CLEAVAGE,” your Mother In Law wants more bling, and your bridesmaids keep talking about how Carol’s wedding dress from last summer was champagne colour. So make sure you evaluate your bride tribe and invite only the ones that you know will enhance your bridal shopping experience.
What to wear
At Ana Koi Bridal, your bridal consultant will help you in and out of the dresses in the changeroom. Since all the dresses have built in bras, you wont need to wear one with the dress, (a.k.a. go braless) unless you don’t feel comfortable. We recommend wearing nude undergarments, sticky bras, or shapewear. You wont need to bring any heels when you are trying on your bridal dress the first time either.
We hope our tips were helpful to any bride and we look forward to seeing you soon at Ana Koi Bridal! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us via email at anakoibridal@gmail.com or call us at 647-267-7857.